The Monk Who Carried No Pride, Only God
The Monk Who Carried No Pride, Only God
A Divergent Spiritual Reflection on Appar (Thirunavukkarasar)
Every human being carries something invisible.
Some carry regret. Some carry ambition. Some carry resentment polished as righteousness.
Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) carried none of these. He carried only God.
To say he had no pride is not to say he lacked identity. It means he refused to build identity from comparison. Pride is constructed by measuring oneself against others. Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) stepped out of that arithmetic entirely. His worth was not negotiated in public spaces; it was anchored in devotion.
Pride asks, “Where do I stand?” Devotion asks, “Where does truth stand?”
He chose the second question.
This is why he felt light.
Pride is heavy. It demands defense, maintenance, validation. It constantly scans for threats. Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) moved differently. Without pride to protect, he became impossible to insult. Without self-image to preserve, he became impossible to destabilize.
He did not carry reputation. He carried remembrance.
Remembrance of Shiva in breath, in step, in silence. That remembrance replaced ego’s need for applause. When the heart is filled with sacred presence, it has no room left for self-importance.
The monk who carries no pride walks freely through praise and blame alike. Praise does not inflate him. Criticism does not shrink him. Why? Because neither defines him.
Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) demonstrated that pride is a substitute for belonging. When one feels separate, one compensates by elevating oneself. When one feels united with the Divine, separation dissolves — and with it, pride.
This unity did not make him passive. It made him unshakeable.
Without pride, he did not seek to prove spiritual depth. He lived it. He did not perform holiness. He embodied steadiness. The absence of pride did not make him invisible; it made him transparent.
Through transparency, light passes clearly.
This is why his presence felt calming rather than commanding. He did not dominate space; he stabilized it. The Divine he carried was not displayed like a badge. It radiated naturally, the way fragrance escapes a flower without effort.
In our world, we are taught to build personal brands, curate impressions, amplify achievements. Pride becomes subtle — dressed as confidence, framed as self-respect. Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) invites a deeper inquiry:
What if confidence comes not from asserting yourself, but from dissolving into something greater?
He did not shrink himself to avoid pride. He expanded into devotion so fully that pride lost relevance.
Carrying God is not mystical imagery. It is a daily orientation. It means allowing sacred awareness to influence speech before ego does. It means pausing before reaction. It means remembering that no human evaluation can increase or decrease intrinsic worth.
Appar (Thirunavukkarasar)’s life reveals a profound spiritual law: When pride exits, peace enters.
Because pride creates friction. It resists correction, avoids vulnerability, competes for recognition. Devotion does none of this. It rests. It trusts. It flows.
The monk who carried no pride was not naive. He understood suffering. He understood opposition. Yet he refused to armor himself with superiority. His protection was surrender, not status.
This is the radical difference between carrying pride and carrying God.
Pride isolates. God integrates.
Pride compares. God completes.
Pride defends. God sustains.
And so, Appar (Thirunavukkarasar) walked through life lighter than most, not because life was easier, but because he did not carry unnecessary weight.
His example whispers gently to us: Empty your hands of self-importance. Fill them with remembrance. See which burden feels lighter.
Practical Toolkit: Carrying Less, Living More
1. Morning Reminder (1 minute)
Before starting the day, say: “Today, I choose presence over pride.”
2. The Comparison Reset
When comparing yourself to someone, pause. Replace the thought with gratitude.
3. Silent Service Moment
Do one task with full attention and no expectation of acknowledgment.
4. Ego Check-In (Evening)
Reflect: “Where did pride create tension today?” Release it consciously.
5. Weekly Lightness Practice
Let go of one need to prove something.